There are more than 2,000 properties standing empty in our area, figures released by the Council this week revealed.
Of these properties, which are located in all parts of the borough and ranging from small flats to large houses with multiple bedrooms, only 502 have stood empty for more than 2 years.
148 of these homes have been empty for more than 5 years.
Properties can remain empty for periods of time because of a number of reasons. The owner may have passed away, or could be experiencing financial problems. It could be that the property is awaiting demolition or requires some maintenance before another tenant can move in or the property can be sold.
Whilst empty properties tend to attract fly-tipping, vandalism and anti-social behaviour, not all empty homes are problematic.
Some homes that have been reported as being empty are regularly maintained by their owners.
Councillor Callum Procter, portfolio holder for economic growth, housing and tourism at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “Empty homes can become a blight on our neighbourhoods. They can attract anti-social behaviour, vandalism and fly-tipping, and buildings stood empty for long periods of time can become susceptible to maintenance issues.
“Unfortunately, this is an issue that is not unique to North East Lincolnshire. Councils up and down the country are fighting to get empty homes back on the market, providing much-needed homes for residents.
“Council and ENGIE officers carry out a huge amount of work to reduce the number of empty homes that we have in our area, meeting with investors and property owners to try to iron out any issues that may be causing a property to stand empty for long periods of time.
“I would always urge potential investors to get in touch with our housing improvement team to discuss the prospect of investing in an empty property locally.
“Likewise, those property owners who are struggling to sell a property should get in touch with our team. We can explore the issues you’re facing and try to find a solution.
“I am pleased to say that Council Officers have been really proactive and innovative in their approach, working successfully with local housing charities, enabling them to acquire empty units, that no-one else wanted. One such example is East Marsh United.”
Last year North East Lincolnshire Council announced that they had been working with community group East Marsh United to set up the area’s first community housing landlord, which now owns three properties which had previously stood empty for a lengthy period of time.
These properties were renovated using local labourers and have since been successfully rented out to local people.
To report an empty property, visit nelincs.gov.uk, email homeimprovementteam@nelincs.gov.uk, or call 01472 326296.
Article from NELC.
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